Ronaldo 1, Coke zero: What happens when big brands clash?

Business of Sport: The discomfort of Ronaldo, Pogba, Locatelli et al with some commerical brands signals the beginning of a rethink for sponsors and product placement.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘snub’ of Coca-Cola was a mixture of brand belligerence and commercial exhaustion, says Ian Mallon.

One week on from the commercial catastrophe that Cristiano Ronaldo dished out to Coca-Cola at Euro 2020, the real issue now is how sponsors develop and manage their relationships with footballers who they don’t pay directly.

Ronaldo’s brand humiliation of an $80bn (€67bn) company with the removal of two Coke bottles from his media podium, highlighted a growing tension between players and their national association duties.